We see it regularly: pictures of a mesh head kick drum that look like someone has attacked them with a hot branding iron. And generally captured in the same shot is the culprit — a felt beater. For e-drum old-timers, that’s a red flag. Experience has taught us to use only hard beaters — plastic or wood. But what exactly is the reason for the antipathy between two seemingly soft substances?...
There’s a small, unglamorous piece of hardware that sits on the underside of virtually every electronic drum module ever made — the mounting bracket. It attaches to a standard 70 x 100 mm hole pattern that has become a de facto industry standard across decades of development and countless manufacturers. And for decades, drummers have quietly tolerated it. Greg Bennett got tired of tolerating it. A...
Swedish music software developer Toontrack has released Drumopolis SDX, a new Superior Drummer 3 expansion produced by veteran record producer Tony Visconti. The pack features eight fully sampled acoustic drum kits, captured at Metropolis Studios in London during sessions overseen by Visconti, drummer Stephen Gilchrist and engineer Liam Nolan. The kits are designed to span a range of rock styles...
Mitch Bruzzese, a drummer based in Sydney, Australia, found his path to global recognition through the digital realm of Twitch. As the platform’s popularity expanded beyond its gaming origins, Mitch recognised a unique opportunity to build an international drumming presence. What started as an experiment quickly evolved into a full-time career powered by the unique capabilities of electronic...
The intersection of cutting-edge technology and world-class performance is set to take centre stage as digitalDrummer returns to the Europe Drum Show. The E-drum Labs at Messe Friedrichshafen (April 11–12, 2026) will feature a powerhouse mix of industry legends, “grassroots” inventors and the European debut of gear that is currently redefining the market. The Heavy Hitters: Schumacher...
Sweden’s 2box accessory specialist Zourman has shipped its 500th hi-hat conversion module. Founder Anders Grönlund says the milestone unit was delivered to an e-drummer in Spain. “What started as a dream in 2016 has now become an unbelievable reality,” he says. “For a product as niche as ours, this is extraordinary. From day one, the aim was to give drummers innovative solutions to enhance their...
A couple of years ago, I discovered the BeatBuddy as a sound source for MIDI controllers such as the Zendrum and trapKAT. To recap, the original BeatBuddy is a “drum machine pedal”, delivering “authentic, studio-quality drum beats” spanning more than 220 styles and 24 genres. At the time, I noted that the beat-generation function was probably irrelevant to 99% of the digitalDrummer audience. We...
As recently reported, Native Instruments has entered preliminary insolvency proceedings in Germany, a development that has sent ripples through the global music-software industry, particularly among third-party drum and sample producers whose products depend on the Kontakt sampler platform. The Berlin-based company filed for insolvency protection on January 27, triggering a court-supervised...
Alex González is using a DWe Acoustic-Electronic Wireless drum kit during Maná’s current “Vivir Sin Aire” arena tour, which comprises 29 dates. González is the drummer and a founding member of Maná, which he co-founded in Guadalajara, Mexico in the late 1980s. He has remained the band’s sole drummer throughout its career and has appeared on all of Maná’s studio and live releases. As a member of...
Pearl Drums used the recent NAMM Show to introduce eRoadshow, its first fully integrated entry-level electronic drum kit. Drawing on the company’s long-running Roadshow acoustic series, the new kit is positioned as a compact, all-in-one solution aimed at beginners, students and players looking for a quiet practice setup. The eRoadshow arrives as a complete package, including pads, hardware...
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By electronic drummers,
for electronic drummers.
FROM THE EDITOR
Electronic drums have come a long way since the 1970s and are now seen alongside their acoustic siblings on stages around the world. They also draw crowds at music trade shows and attract strong interest on the floors of music shops.
As an electronic drummer, technology enthusiast and professional writer, I know first-hand how hard it is to be taken seriously when your kit needs a powerpoint and amp. That’s why we launched digitalDrummer in 2010. I wanted to create a communication channel dedicated to this vibrant market and the musicians who are so enthused by the digital opportunities.
Because it is aimed at a niche audience of dedicated enthusiasts, digitalDrummer is able to explore drum technology in great detail, but it is written for drummers, not techno-geeks.
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Allan Leibowitz
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